Intoxication
by Svelte Rose
Summary: Her smile, her melodic voice, the way she laughed, how her eyes sparkled, how she bounced when she walked, even how perfect her perfume was for her - he was absolutely intoxicated by the very essence of Anzu Mazaki.
1. Prologue

**Title**: Intoxication

**Part**: Prologue

**Author**: Svelte Rose

**Written**: April 9th, 2004

**Comments**: Yes, another pro-Anzu fic. ^_^ I won't tell you the pairing because I don't want to spoil it – chances are you guys will figure out who the admirer is even before we reveal who he is. Yes, this is an Anzu-stalker fic – whether it's good or bad, that's for you to find out. By the way, I don' own the YGO characters. XD

            As soon as she had entered from the doorway, energy radiated off of her and into the quiet classroom. Dark blue eyes followed her lithe form, admiring the way the outfit hugged her curves. As a dancer, the brown-haired, blue-eyed dancer kept an admirable form. He was convinced that perhaps a part of it had nothing to do with her active lifestyle but rather, because she was just born with it.

            Of course, he could be biased.

            A flurry of activity took him out of his musings when he saw that the brunette fell against the teacher's desk, her long legs sprawled out before her. Right next to her sat a group of girls – your typical, popular, rich and snotty girls. One of the girls slowly drew her outstretched leg back, a dirty smirk on her face as they looked down at the sprawled brunette who was currently glaring angrily at them.

            "What is your problem Asahi?" The brunette snarled with venom in her tone.

            Sitting back, he wanted to congratulate the brunette for her spirit. Not many would stand up against Asahi's group – but then again, that was part of the brunette's charm. She didn't go with the flow.

            Asahi had begun to respond but a handsome individual with very, very light blond hair – to the point of being white – came and intervened by helping her up.

            "Slut." One of them muttered under their breath before her face met with that of the brunette's school bag. "What the hell is your problem!?" She screeched, rubbing her small, now red, nose.

            The brunette smiled back at them, one eyebrow arched in the most intimidating fashion, "Don't ask stupid questions Freida,"

            The white-haired individual tugged on the brunette's arm, a wary look on his face as his eyes glanced to the door every so often (probably thinking the teacher would appear any moment), "Come on Anzu,"

            The brunette, Anzu, complied as she followed the white-haired individual to their seats. Pretty soon, the room started to fill up as more and more students wearily dragged themselves in to start another day of school.

            It was five minutes before the last bell would ring and the brunette girl already had a group of guys at her desk. It was a funny thing, he had thought to himself, for a girl to only have male friends. Unless you counted the twenty-four year old blond duelist, Mai Kujaku, Anzu's closest friends were all guys.

            Somehow, he had imagined those kind of girls butch and somewhat, masculine or revealing and promiscuous. The object of his affections was none of that. Behold the power of stereotypes. He had thought to himself as he looked over at Asahi's disgruntled group. Though considered the 'popular group' (how he disliked high school cliques), they could not get the attention of Yugi Mutou, the reigning dueling champion in Japan or Jounouchi Katsuya (which befuddled him as to why they wanted the attention of those two twits), second to Yugi Mutou in the dueling world.

            Honda Hiroto, though not a dueler like the rest of them, he made himself known in the school for his achievements in sports. Watching the group out of the corner of his eye, he almost wanted to snatch Hiroto-san's arm (which currently rested on Anzu's shoulder) and break it off.

            The white-haired individual who sat next to Anzu pushed her good-naturedly as she laughed at a private joke which they all shared. He had whispered in her ear before her face turned bright red and she smacked him. 

            "Ryou!" She emphasized on the last syllable before smacking him in the arm.

            In addition to that, the blond smacked him in the back of the head before they all stared at each other and broke down laughing once more.

            Feeling somewhat possessive, though for no reason, he was glad when the bell rang and all the boys scattered around the room to their assigned seats. When the teacher entered, he, like the rest of his peers, stood up.

            Yet another day had begun.

~*~*~*~

            Anzu looked at her test grade and rubbed her forehead. A "B" was not going to sit well with her parents when they saw the red marks indicating her mistakes on the latest exam.

            "What's the matter?" her seat partner asked as if sensing her plight.

            She looked up and shrugged somewhat abashed, "I didn't do so great on this last chemistry test."

            He flipped his paper around and showed her his grade, "I'm not doing so hot either." Ryou responded in his thick European accent.

            She blinked at his test grade before pinching him in the arm, "An 'A-' isn't doing too hot? You're not funny,"

            "Oh come on Anzu, it's only a 'B', I bet you nobody received a perfect score on this exam," He added sitting back as his eyes wandered the room.

            Anzu was very ready to agree with him before the teacher announced –

            "Congratulations Mr. Kaiba for having received the first and only perfect score on this exam,"

            "Perhaps I spoke too soon," he muttered dryly.

            Some groaned, some rooted for the teenage millionaire. Anzu, however, trained her eyes on him and studied his expression. Always the poker-faced individual, Seto Kaiba just tucked his paper away before a weird expression flitted across his poker-face and he turned his head towards her.

            _Ack__!_ She screeched in her thoughts before blushing and turning to face the front of the room again. He had caught her staring at him! As if he didn't hate her and her friends enough as it was, now he was going to wonder if he had another stalker to add to the list.

            As if. Anzu rolled her eyes, why would she care what he thought?

~*~*~*~

            Though confused, Seto Kaiba didn't let it show. Why in the world had Mazaki been staring at him? Probably because of their teacher's announcement of his perfect score (which he did not believe the teacher's business to tell), which was the most reasonable explanation. But then again, it didn't explain for her intent, in-the-zone, gaze when he caught her big midnight-blue eyes trained on him.

            Also, if it were just an innocent look, she shouldn't have jerked away so quickly with a bright pink tinge in her cheeks.

            Why was he even pondering this thought? She just looked. No big deal.

            Seto Kaiba took out a piece of paper and a pen as the teacher began writing on the chalkboard again. Class would resume as usual, he decided.

**Ending Notes: **Sorry if it seemed confusing at the beginning when it referred to a lot of "him's" and "he's". Hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next installment may be coming soon, I've got a lot of inspiration for this baby. XD

_A note for Max – yes, I have invaded your world of stalker ficcies – mwah! =D Behold._****


	2. Chapter One

**Name**: Intoxication

**Part**: Chapter 1

**Author**: Svelte Rose

**Written**: April 24th, 2004

**Comments**: God, I still haven't cracked my review book open. -_-;; I should really get going on it…anyways, I don't own YGO.

            With a loud pierce that resonated through the hallways, the bells went off for the last time that day. And from the pierce came the many forms of students who poured out into the halls, anxious as the next to go home. 

            Still in her classroom copying down the homework assignment, Anzu's head only jerked up because of a familiar hollar.

            "Anzu! We're going to the shop, are you going to drop by afterwards?" A slightly shorter student asked from the doorway. 

            The brunette shook her head as she professed, "I can't, I have a dance lesson afterwards,"

            He shrugged and grinned before waving, "Alright then, I'll see ya!"

            Anzu giggled as he darted from the door as quick as his short legs could carry him. Quickly stuffing the last of the school items in her bag, she followed shortly after. It was a short walk to her locker but she would spend the next ten minutes fiddling with the lock.

            As she grumbled and said a few choice words under her breath, Anzu was finally to tug it open with one foot propped against the wall for leverage. Nearly yanking the door itself off the wall, she only had a split second to react to the mountain of falling books and god knows what else.

            In the midst of this chaos, a pale pink envelope stood out – which her blue eyes instantly caught. Scrambling towards said item, the brunette snatched it up and stared at it suspiciously. Turning it around in her fingers, she inspected it for a full minute before slowly tearing it open.

            A poem? Too bad her English class lacked the excitement needed to keep her (and half of the class) awake to pay attention.

            Flipping the white card around in her fingers, the brunette looked for other clues that could possibly tell her the purpose of this card. Finding none, she read the poem again and stared at it for a while as her mind pondered as to who could have dropped this letter in her locker. If only she'd paid more attention during their literary course, she would at least remember the author of this excerpt.

            Having established no other foundation as to the cause of this envelope being in her locker, the dancer unceremoniously stuffed it one of her bag's compartments and glanced at her wrist watch. With some colorful words muttered, she stuffed as many of the books as she could into the locker before running down the hall, dust settling in her wake.

~*~*~*~

            From his vehicle, he could make out her fleeing form as her pink and blue uniform disappeared down the sidewalk, the dark skies threatening to open upon her small form. Even if it did rain, he knew full-well that it would not detour her from the salsa lessons she had every Thursday for two hours after school.

            Checking the time on his wrist watch, he looked up once more to her small form before it disappeared around the corner. She would be late, that much was certain. On his lap laid a white card and a pink envelope similar to the one the dancer had just found in her locker. Searching his pocket for a pen, he opened the card and searched his mind for the next poem he would use.

            Having thought of one, he smiled slightly before the sharp end of his pen contacted the surface of the white card.

~*~*~*~

            The next day in class, Anzu pulled out the same white card she'd found in her locker the day before and studied the contents for about the hundredth time since she found it. At this rate, she had remembered the poem word by word and repeated it to herself silently, her eyes barely scanning the actual contents.

            A shadow fell over her before the card was taken out of her hands and only then did she realize that her seating partner stood behind her, a peculiar expression on his face.

            "Ooooooo," he drew out in a sing-song voice before he stared at her out of the corner of his eye. "You have a secret admirer?"

            She stared back with an incredulous look, "Secret admirer? Hardly," She mumbled before taking the card back and stuffing it into her bag.

            Ryou stared at the familiar tinge of pink that decorated her features whenever the brunette was embarrassed and then flopped into his seat next to her. Clearing his voice, he laid his cheek on one palm and began to recite, "Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day? Thou are more lovely and more temperate; rough winds do shake the darling buds of May and summer's lease hath all too short a date."

            Anzu's eyes widened as she went over the poem in her mind. By this time, the entire class (especially the female population), were drawn to the deep lull of Ryou Bakura's voice and they flushed instantly as it took on a deeper, more sensual tone.

            "Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, and often is his gold complexion dimmed; and every fair from fair sometime declines. By chance," He paused before shrugging, "Or nature's changing course untrimmed. But -," Lifting up one finger for emphasis, he continued, "Thy eternal summer shall not fade no lose possession of that fair thou ow'st. Nor shall Death brag though wander'st in his shadow when in eternal lines to time thou grow'st. So long as men can breath,"

            Anzu's eyes were considerably wider (even more so than a few seconds ago) as she stared at the crimson eyes of the tomb robber. "What the-," How incredibly corny was this whole scenario? Looking around the room wildly, it seemed as if she were the only one who found the entire situation implausible. But here Ryou was (or should she say Bakura)…reciting the poem as if she were his lover.

            Her eye twitched. **As if**.

            "Or eyes can see," His eyes flickered back to chocolate brown, that of Ryou's. "So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

             At this point, the only girl who wasn't blushing or fanning herself (rather humorously, the brunette added to herself) was Anzu. She arched her eyebrow at Ryou, "That whole scenario was so…incredibly…"

"Cheesy?" He offered, chirping. 

"Yep." She answered without a moment's hesitation. "…So did you give me this?" Anzu waved the pink envelope in the air.

            This time, it was his turn to arch his eyebrow, "Heavens no,"

            "Oh…" Her disappointment and later, confusion was obvious. "How do you know this poem?"

            He shrugged again, "It's a must for a person to be able to recite Shakespeare in England,"

            "Nuh uh!" She contested, a grin blossoming her features.

            "I kid you not," He answered with a straight look before breaking out in a smile of his own. "Actually I am,"

            She chuckled. Well at least she knew who the author of the poem was. Now as to who put it in her locker…

~*~*~*~

            He fumed quietly in his seat, knuckles turning white from the tight grip around his pen. Ryou Bakura had no right, _no right_, to recite that poem in such a manner befitting a lover. Careful not to let his anger show, he pretended to pay attention to the class while out of the corner of his eye, he watched the dancer.

~*~*~*~

            Hurrying to catch up with her friends, Anzu snapped her bag shut before weaving through the classroom desks in order to catch up with the others. Dodging the tall frame of Seto Kaiba, she wasn't able to make it out the door without her bag contacting his arm.

            "Watch it Mazaki!" he hissed before bringing his arm up and rubbing it.   
            The brunette hurried back and bowed, "Sorry Kaiba-kun!" She protested before turning around and darting off again.

            It took a minute for that last part to register – not because he was slow (far from it!) but because he still needed to recover from the shock of Anzu's bag attacking him and then her comment. "Kaiba-kun!?" he exclaimed with a dubious look as his blue eyes followed that of her disappearing pink and blue figure. Muttering a few words under his breath, the teenage billionaire continued slowly after her, trying to make tingling sensation in his arm disappear before he reached the lunch room to satisfy his stomach rumbling hunger.

            God, did she have to hit him _right_ in the funny bone!?

**End Notes**: This particular plotline is by far the one I'm going to have most fun with. ^_^ Well, at least you all know now that it isn't Ryou Bakura. Who is it? You may never know. O_O Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this! Ack, better get to work, ciao!


	3. Chapter Two

**Title**: Intoxication

**Part**: Chapter 2

**Author**: Svelte Rose

**Comments**: I should probably stop making author's notes since they're against the FF.net rules but ah well. They can stop me from thanking all the great people who actually took time to review this fic. You guys kick butt! I don't own YGO.

      "All right. One, two three, and up!" 

      Ryou's arms strained as he lifted Asahi high above his head, cursing the day he ever accepted Anzu's request to join as part of the extras on Domino High's spring drama. He had believed that she would be his partner but due to his luck (or lack thereof), he ended up with Asahi. Anzu had convinced him (quite influentially with her large azure eyes turned puppy-like) that they needed everyone they could find for one of the dance scenes. It wasn't big, he wasn't required to act, he did not need to work very much. . .

      Or so he thought.

      "Let's call for a break, you guys look like you're about to drop," The choreographer announced as the students actually dropped to the floor in relief.

      Anzu quickly skipped over to her white-haired friend and ruffled the top of his head. "Thank you Ryou, we needed more guys,"

      He grunted as he rubbed his sore arms after Asahi had run off to her group who had joined the spring drama immediately after she had joined. Clones. "Aren't these dance moves a bit advanced for high school students?"

      Anzu shrugged as she drank from a water bottle she had some how produced from her skin-tight leotard.

Or. . .maybe it was just that she had it and he was too much in pain to notice.

Tossing the bottle to him, she wiped the droplets, that had leaked from her mouth, with the towel around her neck, "It wasn't that hard,"

      Ryou guzzled the water down. He figured he must've at least lost half his body's water supply.

      And sure, he could be exaggerating but at least it got his point across – which really did not currently matter.

      "Of course it isn't hard for you, you've been dancing your whole life," he grumbled after he'd swallowed. "I didn't think you could manipulate your spine like that.

      Anzu grabbed the bottle from him before he could take another swig. Giggling, she smiled and hugged him briefly, before going back to her position on the stage, "Only one more hour!" She called out.

      He struggled against the urge to. . . blow a raspberry. "You owe me a big cup of tea at Starbucks," He shouted right back.

      The brunette's eyes bugged out, "Are you kidding me?! They cost a fortune!"

      "This is going to cost me a lung!" He retorted before the choreographer called for attention. Biting his lip to keep from groaning at the prospect, he smiled – albeit painfully – at the beaming Asahi.

      It was just his luck he got stuck with someone that searched for reasons just so she could touch him. Ryou felt violated.

Ohhhhh yeah, it would be a big cup of tea, yes it will be.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

      After much grumbling and complaining, Anzu paid for his drink (which he happily attacked) and her own drink.

      "I'm very happy," Ryou commented while she struggled with stirring of sugar in her iced latté. He wanted to tell her that sugar didn't dissolve very well in cold drinks and it as the heat of the hot drinks that usually broke the bonds of sugar molecule.

      However, it wasn't school, and she did laugh when Asahi fell on him during practice. 

      Ryou sniggered as she protested at another runaway ice cube that went skipping out of her cup, across the counter, and onto the floor.

      Anzu did the only thing befitting her age. Something that was very adult, very mature, and very, very poised.

      She stuck her tongue out and blew a loud, slobbery raspberry.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

      Mokuba watched the whole scene with amusement and chuckled but stopped when he heard Seto scoffing from across the table.

      "How mature," The older Kaiba snorted before turning his attention back to his laptop.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

      Mrs. Mazaki, known by Anzu's friends as Mommy Mazaki, winced as she entered the currently crooning teenage girl's room. For someone who was into the art of dancing and the music that went with the dancing, her daughter sure could not carry a tune to save her life. Thank the heavens the shower door muffled some of the sound. Searching through the duffle bag (as she did every night), the elder female Mazaki fished out several items of clothing and blinked when a pink letter fell out.

      The shower door opened while the occupant came out with a rosy glow to her cheeks, still humming an off-key tune. "Hey mom," She greeted as her eyes went to the clothes currently occupying her mother's arms. "I was going to get those after I got out," the brunette offered sheepishly.

      Mrs. Mazaki chuckled, "And if you forgot?"

      Anzu shuddered the last time she forgot. The last time she'd forgotten sweaty gym clothes, her mother had found it in the trunk of their car a month later, opened it up only to be greeted by a peanut butter sandwich mold colony and the worst smell ever.

      It took them a week to remove the smell from the duffle bag and several washings to get the smell out of her clothing.

      "Here, I found this in your bag," The elder Mazaki female handed a pink envelope to her daughter. "It was hiding in your duffle bag. . . smells nice. Is it a secret admirer?" Mrs. Mazaki was never one to beat around the bush.

      Thank god for the rosy blush that adorned her cheeks from the hot shower – otherwise, her mother would be able to tell, without any problem, that she hit the target right on.

      "Nooooo! Just something Yuugi probably gave me,"

      Mrs. Mazaki rolled her eyes and turned around, "You are the worst liar imaginable," She critiqued before leaving the room.

      Her second raspberry for that day, went to her mother.

      And surprisingly. . . "Get that tongue back in your mouth, girl!" Mrs. Mazaki's fading voice called out from a ways down the hall.

      Jumping slightly, the brunette called out her apologies before ripping the pink envelope open and quickly reading the contents.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Well?" Anzu prompted during their science lab as Ryou examined the contents of the letter with a satisfied expression.

      Ryou folded the envelope up and gave it back to the brunette. "Your secret admirer has good taste. That's the famous poem, 'How Shall I Love Thee?' by Elizabeth Browning,"

      "Whassat?" The familiar Brooklyn accent greeted the surprised pair, his quick hands snatching the white card from her.

      "A poem," Anzu answered shortly.

      Yuugi popped up from behind the blond and started reading, "'How shall I love thee? Let me count the ways –'"

      Anzu yanked it from Joey, "It's for English class,"

      The pair looked at her with eyebrows raised.

      "I don't remember that poem from English class," Yuugi commented only to be painfully pinched by the white-haired European. "Of course, I could be wrong," he gasped out while watching Ryou out of the corner of his eye.

      Jounouchi shrugged. "I wouldn't know, I sleep tru dat class,"

      "We know," The three of them chorused, dryly.

      "So lemme read it Anzu!" The blond whined effectively.

      Anzu surrendered the card.

      Jounouchi started to read loudly but started to quiet down as he stumbled over the words and stopped completely after the fifth line. He gave the card back to her and asked, "So what's dat for?"

      "English class," Anzu, Yuugi, and Ryou chorused to the dazed blond.

      He blinked wildly, "Dat was so synchronized," Jou muttered to himself before he returned to his own lab; Yuugi following shortly thereafter.

      Once they were out of hearing distance, Anzu turned to Ryou and arched an eyebrow, "Yuugi knows something's up doesn't he?"

      "Well, the pinch I gave him was very subtle; I don't really think he knows – ow!" He yelped when she gave him a quick pinch. "Yeah, he knows something's up,"

      The brunette looked expectantly at him, her arms crossed and foot tapping, "So. . .what am I going to tell him?"

      "The truth?" He offered meekly.

      She shook her head wildly, "Absolutely not! This stays between you and I,"

      Ryou backed up, palms up in defense, "Alright, alright!"

      Happy to have gotten her point across, Anzu settled down and started to formulate the excuse she would have to give to her best friend.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

      She was never the best liar.

      But for once, she actually had him fooled.

      Or maybe it was the fact that he was Yuugi and never pushed anything.

      Her explanation **was** far fetched.

      "Alright," he said afterwards, still eyeing her suspiciously.

      That was it. She would leave it at that. Yuugi wouldn't push it, Anzu knew he wouldn't push it. Neither would she.

      "How about some ice cream?" He asked after an extremely awkward moment of silence.

       "Sure!" she chirped shortly thereafter.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

      Placing a seal on the pink envelope, he fanned it slowly so as to not disturb the wet ink still on the front letter of which 'Anzu Mazaki' had been elegantly in scripted. He'd been satisfied with her reaction to both letters – it was only fitting he send a third one.

      Of course, the simple question of when he would stop, arose. When would he stop? 

      He shrugged and quietly murmured to himself, "Until she finds out, I suppose."

      And he had already made sure she had no clues as to who he was. Everything from the paper and ink used, to the placement of the letters – he had made sure they could never be traced and that there were no witnesses.

      No, Anzu Mazaki would never find out who he was.

      Somehow, that thought seemed disheartening.

**Ending Notes**: So. . .you guys like? I can't believe I typed this up in one night but I guess I was so happy when the last of my APs ended. No more late night studying, no more cram sessions. . .now I can concentrate on my fics. XD


	4. Chapter Three

**Title**: Intoxicated

**Part**: Chapter 3

**Author**: Svelte Rose

**Comments**: Woot! Another chapter. I had a bit of trouble writing this one and I still am not completely satisfied with it but if I don't get this out, I will never get the other chapters out. ;; This is a much better rewrite than the first version of Chapter 3 I'd done. Kysra knows. XD Anyways, I hope you enjoy.

Another practice, another group of bruises, another pain-filled night.

At least it seemed like it was for Ryou, Anzu thought while she and the other dancers watched as Ryou's rear end met the floor once more. His partner's face turned bright red – well, she _was_ the cause of it.

Once the audible thump was heard, a synchronized series of groans and intakes of breaths were heard.

"Oh my god!" Asahi exclaimed as she bent over to help the ailing European up. "I am so sorry!"

As much as Anzu disliked Asahi, she couldn't help but feel sympathetic. After all, it wasn't as if she, herself, had never fallen, and despite knowing others sympathized with her, it was still embarrassing for the public to have witness your fall from grace – literally.

Then again, she felt more horrible for Ryou who must've fallen at least three times during the last half-hour because of Asahi.

Discernable chuckles could be heard from Anzu's right – the brunette did not even need to look or guess whom they belonged to.

Jounouchi and Honda.

If Yuugi had been here, he would've set the two straight – or at least berated them to the best of his ability. And if that didn't work, there was his other half.

Of course, Anzu herself could've done so – but she wondered if it was even worth it.

"All right, that's all we have time for," A strong voice called out; the speaker's hands clapped together for the group's attention.

Almost immediately, Anzu's eyes jerked over to the source of that voice and clapping, taking note of the exasperation that clearly showed through their choreographer's face.

"Mazaki," The object of her musings called as she met the cerulean blue eyes, "Can I speak to you?"

It wasn't as if the dancer could say otherwise – there was no reason for objection. Skipping over, as many of the relieved students ran off stage (mostly because they didn't want to be there any more than they had to be, plus the next scene _was_ about to ensue), Anzu's eyes lit up with excitement for no particular reason. "What's up?"

"One of the other dancing scenes needs work, and due to my lack of expertise in that area of dance, I was wondering, if you would help me co-choreographer?"

"Sure," the endless blue pools still glittering.

* * *

The next morning, a pair of hooded, blue eyes followed a certain, lithe form that the same pair of eyes had become so accustomed to watching every morning. However, her steps lacked a certain bounce it usually carried. Instead, Anzu Mazaki was dragging her legs. One look at her face caused a turbulent, wave of emotions – a want to protect her from any negativity. He struggled to keep his expression placid. 

He nearly shot out of his seat when the brunette fell onto the ground, her knees having taken the brunt of the fall.

Hell, if it hadn't been for the blond mutt and the spiky-haired..._weirdo_ shooting out of their seats first, he would've nearly blown the façade he had fought to keep least anyone suspected anything.

Not only did Yuugi and Jounouchi run to her aid, Honda was already down there, berating Michiko for the intentional and hurtful prank.

He didn't even need to listen; his ears easily picked up the loud, angry voice of Honda's.

"Jesus, you are pathetic – just because you and your cult of poser, prep bitches don't have anything else going for you, but those fake pair of knockers on your chest, I guess you'd do anything to keep what self-esteem you had left!"

The same blue eyes that watched the dancer's form every morning before class begun, blinked once as he fought the urge to laugh.

Jounouchi and Yuugi helped Anzu up, her shoulder-length, brunette tresses hid her face from where he sat.

One look at Michiko and the three others that sat close by; they were stunned into silence as they blinked in shock at their rather verbose classmate.

Lazy lids slid over the deep, blue eyes as lips curved into an all-to-familiar smirk.

* * *

"I'm okay," Anzu grumbled as she slapped Ryou's hands away from her bruised knees. She ignored the irritated look her friend shot her and nearly cried out when he grabbed her leg and began to massage a red knee. He ground his fingers into the area – or it felt like he was grinding to Anzu – not at all as gentle as his persona portrayed. 

And regardless of their platonic relationship, the fact that he was massaging her knee, in front of class, before class began was very intimate for such a shy and proper boy as Ryou.

Anzu grimaced as his fingers hit an especially, tender spot.

Ryou looked up and sighed, "Rubbing it helps the swollen joint heal faster,"

"What? Are you suddenly a certified doctor?" She sarcastically bit back, yanking her knee from his strong grip.

He let go without any resistance and smiled, "No, just something I learned after falling all those times while dancing with Asahi,"

* * *

Seto Kaiba smirked at the bright computer screen as he mocked the system's simplicity. He had given himself half an hour for the job – tops. However, the job had been done in half the time. 

If he ever thanked Gozaburo for anything, it was for the training he received.

"..."

Who was he kidding? He did that all by himself.

The clanging of door locks shutting in place snapped him out of his reverie as he peeked out of the sound booth window and looked down.

Mazaki? What the hell was she doing here at school so late? He looked down at his wristwatch – it was 8:20pm. The school doors would actually be closing within the next hour or so.

He actually had a legitimate reason – her, on the other hand, did not. Play practice ended at 6pm – which was the only reason she would be in the auditorium.

Plus, who would come to school dead early in the morning, stay for three or four hours longer than they should be, then two hours later, come back – on the same day?

Well, obviously Mazaki had and would.

Suddenly, loud music blared and with the advanced acoustics that had been installed in the auditorium, the sound distributed rather well – from the stage all the way up to the sound booth. His head turned instantly towards the source of the music – Mazaki's boom box on the stage.

Seto found himself watching something he figured was very much prohibited to the public – especially he who had declared her best friend his enemy. Her long legs carried her through many sets of complicated pliets, leaps, twirls, etc.

He was no dancing expert, he didn't claim to be but if he had to take a guess, the style of dancing seemed to be a little bit of classical ballet mixed with modern day hip-hop.

Seto tore his eyes away and quickly packed up his equipment. Making his way down the stairs and out of the sound booth, he slowly walked towards the exit. So involved in her dancing, he figured (and hoped) she did not notice his trench coat covered figure disappearing behind the doors.

Even had she noticed, Anzu Mazaki was not one likely to let it interrupt her dance sequence. After all, it was no secret to their school that her dream was to dance for a living.

_Foolish dreams._ He remembered having them once before Gozaburo removed any trace of them.

"Goodnight Kaiba!" The clear voice rang out before the door shut with a not-so-quiet clunk.

A tinge of pink colored Seto's cheeks. He was not a subtle person, by far.

**End Notes: **Er...comments and/or constructive criticisms anyone?


	5. Chapter Four

**Title**: Intoxication

**Part**: Chapter 04

**Author**: Svelte Rose

**Comments**: I don't own YGO. I do own this story. Terribly sorry for the long hiatus.

It was a part of his daily regiment. If it were not for this part, he wouldn't even come to school.

He would get up from bed, eat breakfast, go to school, sit in his seat, and wait until five minutes before first period started; that was when the object of his affections came through the door, emanating grace and elegance.

His same heavy-lidded blue eyes would follow her form carefully as she weaved her way across the classroom, ignore the dirty looks shot to her by the Barbie clones, and take her seat next to Ryou.

She would flash that bright smile of hers which was never forced- always real. She would run her slender fingers through her hair, tug the short skirt which was a part of Domino High's misplaced fashion sense, and chuckle whenever her seat partner, Ryou, cracked a lame joke.

And when she did laugh, it wasn't too loud or boisterous, it wasn't too soft and high-pitched; it was simply perfect. It even made him want to laugh even if there wasn't any reason.

When she suddenly stopped speaking, that was when he tore his eyes away from her and focused on the object in front of him. He could feel her eyes on him for a moment before the comforting feeling went away.

They had a bond…she may not know who he was but she knew when he was looking.

* * *

Anzu never claimed to be a good sports player. Her forte was dancing and only dancing. She disliked basketball, hated publicly used water (swimming), football- it was never going to happen, and most of all…volleyball. 

It wasn't the sport itself that she hated but the people she always ended up playing against in physical education. Unfortunately, it only added to her ire that their classes were always co-ed. This meant playing with guys who were usually on some testosterone hitch to show off to one another how much stronger and how much more agile they were. The girls would usually taper off to the sides and giggle behind their hands while they gossiped about how strong and muscular Masa looked, how the facial hair was so becoming on Hiro, and various such comments. It was all very icky and made her feel as though the women's movement had regressed.

Asahi, on the other hand, was beside herself with exhilaration. Irate for not being able to catch the brunette off-guard during the morning, Asahi practically threw her hands up into the air when their gym teacher announced that they would begin their volleyball tournament.

Her and her friends weren't star players on Domino's Varsity Volleyball team for noting.

And when it came time for her to serve, she knew exactly who to aim it at.

* * *

She bit back a curse as the ball bounced off the inside of her left wrist and went corkscrewing off-bounds and into another court. Rubbing it gingerly, she glared at the other team's server and bit back a remark, unwilling to sink to their level. 

They had scored three points so far, all due to wayward returns on Anzu's part. Her face flushed every time her teammates told her 'good job'; their tones were half-hearted and many were discouraged by the fact that they were losing.

"You okay?" Asked the rough voice from her left.

She was surprised. Did Kaiba actually ask about her welfare? Shaking it off, she nodded and smiled slightly, "Of course, it's just a game,"

"Could you please pay attention to it, then?" He retorted, a bit harsh.

She narrowed her eyes. Only he knew how to make a polite statement sound so_ rude_. Anzu sighed and rubbed her forehead. There was only half an hour left to the game so if she could hold through, then she was set. Bending down into the standard position, she readied herself as Asahi yelled the score and sent the ball flying over the net.

She felt her hands meeting the ball but she didn't know what had happened until one of her teammates exclaimed happily, "Yes! It's up in the air!" She blushed at the statement and watched the ball sail back and forth.

"I got it!" Michiko yelled from the other side as she bent down, readying herself for a spike.

Except Asahi dashed from the back line formation, jumped up at the same time Michiko did, and both smacked the ball simultaneously at the surprised brunette.

Anzu didn't have the instincts to block herself so she just closed her eyes and held out her palms, expecting to feel the ball bounce off some part of her body and out of bounds again.

Except, a tall form came sailing in front of her, diving underneath to return the ball.

"Keep your eyes open!" Kaiba ordered, picking himself up immediately and dusting off the right side of his thigh.

She opened her eyes and blew out a breath just as Endo, a teammate of Asahi's and Michiko's, returned the ball. After a few more seconds, they had scored their first point of the game.

They eventually lost the game but due to Kaiba's quick returns, Honda's hard spikes, and the rest of the team members' attempts, they weren't too far behind.

Asahi left disgruntled with a trailing, glaring Michiko behind her. Endo, along with the rest of the team had told them 'good game' before she headed off towards the locker rooms.

"I don't get why Asahi is so pissy. She won the game," Grumbled one of her own teammates as he scratched the back of his head before heading off towards the boy's locker rooms.

"Who knows, maybe it's a girl thing," His friend answered, falling into a step behind him.

Anzu shook her head; it definitely wasn't just a girl thing.

* * *

He had taken out his private collection earlier and was carefully going through each book, looking for the perfect poem to put in his next letter. On the furnished desk was a pen, a pink envelope and several marbled stationary pages. 

It was a little frustrating though; even Shakespeare couldn't offer him a poem that described his innermost feelings.

Growling under his breath due to frustration, he practically tore off the next page of his poetry book with his hasty flip, eyes quickly scanning the words before they widened, joy almost instantaneous.

He had found it.

Taking it quickly to his desk, he sat down, pulled the chair in and started to print it down. Once he was finished printing the poem, he sat in silence for a second before the scratching of a pen against a paper was heard in the empty room once more.

The poem may have been perfect but it would never fully describe his feelings. His little personal message could at least bare a fraction of his need for her, to her.

Giving it another look-over, he frowned to himself wondering if this behavior was slightly unhealthy.

Shrugging, he sealed the paper into the envelope and looked at the finished product in front of him, just lying innocent on the desk. Sighing heavily, his head sank into his arms. While the behavior was unhealthy for him, bottling it up was even unhealthier.

And he would die before he let any serious harm come to Anzu Mazaki, much less if the harm came from his own hands.


	6. Chapter Five

**Title**: Intoxication

**Part**: Chapter 05

**Author**: Svelte Rose

**Comments**: First, I don't own YGO. Second, I can't remember the last time I looked at this story until now. But I wanted to let my reviewers know that I appreciate all the thoughts that went my way on this yr-long hiatus and I hope to at least pop out a few chapters within the next few months. I can't guarantee anything since I started this story almost 3 yrs ago and it's still not close to being finished but I want to let you all know there's at least some sort of goal I'm striving for. ) With that, please enjoy! Also, if you guys wish to see something in the story or you have a suggestion for a story you'd like to see written; please give me an email or message or whatever. I've been plot-less for almost half a year and it would be nice to hear some thoughts other than those pertaining to this fic. )

* * *

Anzu rubbed her bruised knees gingerly before taking the bandage laying at her side and wrapping it around her right knee. While her knees took the brunt of her fall yesterday morning, she had landed mostly on her right knee today during P.E. class. Grumbling under her breath, she wondered what she had done to antagonize the ire of Asahi and her friends. It had been the same way for the last year they'd been in school together and Anzu was certain that had they gone to the same junior high, it would've began there instead of at Domino High.

Taking out her notebook, she glanced at the neatly written accounts for the week ahead.

Stopping at the two week mark, she gasped slightly to herself. Exams were coming up in two weeks and she hadn't even begun prepping! Not to mention, dance practice was held three times a week and not only was she dancing, she had agreed to help choreograph.

Slamming her locker shut, she made her way out of the locker area and proceeded to the auditorium; there wasn't much she could do at this point except hope that she possessed the time management skills required to help her juggle all the activities.

* * *

"Very good Kyoko, that was a well-executed turn," The choreographer praised clapping her hands. The other students nodded in agreement while some of the girls approached the beaming girl with questions of their own.

"Wonderful job, everyone! That concludes it for today's number so dancers may leave if they wish. Performers will begin their next act," Anzu announced setting down her clipboard. Thankful that practice had ended early, she quickly chatted a bit with the choreographer before making her way down to the locker area. By that time, it had cleared out except for a few straggling persons. Opening her locker, a familiar scent wafted into her nostrils before a slip of pink caught her eye. Furrowing her eyebrows, she picked up the envelope and glanced at her scripted name in the front. Looking up from the envelope, her eyes quickly scanned the locker area for any clues as to who the mysterious person leaving her letters was. She only caught sight of Kyoko walking by with a towel in her hand, one of the volleyball team members, Kira, chatting away on her phone as she pulled her knee pads on and another one of the performers running by.

Sitting down on the bench, she pulled out the card and opened it, revealing three scripted lines.

"A haiku?" She surmised. "Huh…"

* * *

Ryou tapped his foot against the building, a bag slung over his shoulder as he waited for the dancers from that day's practice exit the school grounds. Pulled up in front of him was a sleek black car, bearing the Kaiba-Inc symbol. A few minutes later, several students including a tall figure striding purposefully towards the car appeared from the school building. Having caught sight of his boss, the driver quickly exited from the car and opened the back passenger door.

Only a few seconds later, Ryou caught sight of Anzu running out from the doors and brought up his hand to wave at her.

Seto was only distracted for moment as Anzu rushed past him to greet her friend. Glancing back at his waiting transportation, he only nodded at his driver before entering the car and the both of them quickly driving off.

Anzu and Ryou watched the sleek car pull away before shrugging at one another and heading towards the café. This time, Ryou had promised to treat and she wasn't about to turn down caffeine. Linking arms with him, she grinned at the bewildered Ryou before dashing off.

Ryou could only belch, "Don't smile like that, Anzu! Oi!"

* * *

Watching their disappearing form, a shine of light passed over a pair of blue eyes before the pair disappeared around the corner.

Gripping his leg, he wondered how much more willpower he had left within him not to beat the international student to a pulp the next time he saw him.

* * *

"A haiku this time?" Ryou questioned taking the card from Anzu.

She nodded, sipping at her milkshake.

Ryou pursed his lips. For someone who had an unknown being lurking around her, leaving her notes and whatnot, providing so much attention, it didn't seem to _faze_ her one bit. The milkshake received more of her attention than these letters got.

This wasn't to say that either of them weren't curious, "Lessee…Nothing too surprising about this one, I mean it follows the trend of all the other letters you received in that it's just a love poem. Instead of a sonnet this time, he sent a haiku."

Anzu smiled, "Smell the letter though,"

Ryou threw her a weird look before taking a sniff or two of the sweetly scented card, "What about it?"

Surprised, she took another sip of her drink before proceeding, "Well, whoever this person is, they have very expensive taste. I recognize the scent of this letter because Mai used to wear it all the time,"

"What is it?"

"Armani's _Sensi_,"

"Mai has expensive tastes herself," He commented before taking a sip of his tea. "What about the other letters?"

Anzu pulled them out of her bag. "I figured out what the third letter smelled like,"

Surprised, Ryou turned his face to her, "There was a third letter?"

She blushed, "Uh…yeah,"

"What did it say?"

"Another American poem or another," She cleared her throat, "Anyways, the third letter smells like Gucci's _Envy Me_,"

Ryou took a sniff, not that he could tell the difference. Reading the contents, he nodded before placing it back into the envelope.

"The first and second one, I can't really discern the scents but they smell like perfumes I've dealt with before in the department stores." Rubbing her chin, Anzu stared at the letters. "I wonder if it has any meaning,"

Ryou took the last sip of his tea, "I'm more worried about the fact that your so-called admirer-borderline-stalker seemingly has a rather complete collection of _women's_ perfumes."

"Huh…" She scratched her head. "That would be a cause for concern wouldn't it?"


	7. Chapter Six

**Title**: Intoxication

**Part**: Chapter 06

**Author**: Svelte Rose

**Disclaimer**: I don't own them.

* * *

Anzu rummaged through her locker as various articles of clothing and books littered the floor in front of it. If Ryou hadn't been so amused, he would've indicated to her the various stares of confusion she was receiving from her classmates passing by in the halls.

"What are you searching for?" He questioned, leaning against the locker next to hers.

"My dance shoes, I left my usual pair at home so I'm searching to see if I was smart enough to stash away an emergency pair in this abyss." She replied, agitation lacing her words.

"And were you?" He was likely to get a slap for that one.

While she would have liked to slap the boy, she settled for a glare as her hands were busy shoving things back in before the first bell rang. "No,"

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, practice barefoot?" She suggested as she slamming the metal door, hissing slightly when she realized some stuff inside the locker had gotten caught in the process. Giving a swift kick, she shouldered her bag roughly before heading towards their classroom, Ryou following quickly.

He sighed and handed her a pastry, "Here, Honda gave me one this morning but I don't have a sweet tooth."

Her eyes widened at the proffered sweets, "Ooo!" Squealing happily, she hardly noticed that with her head turned, she'd walked right into Asahi, sending the girl sprawling. Jolted out of her pastry-filled dreams, she stumbled back, eyes landing on the misfortunate girl before rushing over. "Ohmygosh, I'm so sorry Asahi, I wasn't watching where I was going. Here," She offered a hand, thinking her classmate would take it.

Asahi rubbed her hip, her face scrunched up in pain before she looked at the brunette and slapped her hand away, "I can get up fine by myself."

"Oh, alright," Anzu could only mutter before she took a step back, giving the fallen girl room to get up.

Seto Kaiba took this opportune moment to enter and could hardly bite back a sarcastic remark, "Don't you have a seat to get to?"

Pools of blue clashed with blue before she huffed in embarrassment and hurried on her way to the said seat. Ryou was already sitting down and talking to another classmate while his seat partner dejectedly sat down, unnoticed by him.

Pulling out her pencils and whatnot, she bit her cheek before glancing at the giggling group of girls and then quickly back to her own carefully arranged notebook.

She really hated high school.

**Xxx**

Jounouchi was not the smartest man alive or even the smartest guy in the school. No, that title belonged to he king of snobs- Seto Kaiba. But as many people forgot, he did have a brand of street smarts that his sheltered classmates did not have. He was also deadly loyal to his friends, as they provided him the affection his home life lacked.

Anzu knew people forgot that they _had_ to score a certain percentage to get into this high school and Jounouchi made sure that he was also able to get into the school his friends had chosen to go to. The boy's grades weren't bad, they weren't the best by far but that didn't matter to the laid-back street kid as he plopped down on the ground next to her while taking a large bite out of his apple. Considering he slept in _every _single one of their classes, it was a wonder how he even managed to keep up. He had probably dealt with people not thinking the best of him all his life so it was no wonder she felt like utter shit when he swallowed his apple piece and proceeded to speak.

"I'm wondering as to why a smart girl like you is sitting up here by herself. You can't care for Asahi's opinion; that would just be stupid."

The brunette sighed as she leaned into the blond, her head resting on his shoulder. "I don't know. Frankly, I think I'm getting my red-,"

At that point, Jounouchi sputtered and threw the girl an angry glare.

She chuckled before patting his leg, "I'm sensitive. It's not her opinion that gets to me, rather the fact that the rest of the class is so easily manipulated by her. I don't know if you've noticed but I don't have any other close friends besides you guys."

"What a lucky gal indeed," He quipped before flinging the core away from them and wiping his hands on his pants, "To have the best men on earth at your beck and call-,"

"Yes. What fortune indeed." She dryly responded, rolling her eyes.

He chuckled and played with a piece of her hair, "Good to see that you know that."

She sighed and moved away, pulling her legs towards her chest. "When Asahi ignored me that first day of classes, the rest of the girls followed." The irritation in her voice grew, "I thought this school possessed intelligent people, not lemmings."

The blond man picked at his teeth before looking over at the angry brunette. Pursing his lips, he let out his breath in a heavy sigh before leaning on her this time, "You girls are a vicious bunch."

"Yes. Yes, we are."

"They're just jealous."

"I don't like to think of people that way, you know that Jou."

"I've never seen it get you down before, why now?" He finally asked the loaded question he'd been itching to ask ever since he noticed a cloud of despair following one of his closest friends.

She shrugged, "Honestly, it really is _that time_ of the month." At which Jou sputtered again. "I know you don't want to hear it but coupled with the factor that Asahi's dislike of me was so clearly shown today when she wouldn't even take my offer of help, I'm not exactly emotionally stable right now. None of the other girls will even talk to me so it's not like I have anybody else to unload my instability onto."

"You're not suffering from instability."

"Girls at this time of the month _are_ or did you forget that Mai was also a girl too?" Anzu sarcastically bit back before furrowing back in her knees, "I'm sorry, that wasn't right of me."

Jou ignored it and proceeded with a smirk, "Oh, I assure, she's very _much_ a girl,"

This time, it was Anzu's turn to sputter and gag as she hissed out in a scandalized voice, "Jou!"

He snickered, "Anyways, if its girly love you want, you could always go to Yuugi- he's sensitive enough to be one, it's kind of scary. I'm sure he looks mighty fine in a dress and wig…well, as fine as a drag-queen Yuugi _can_ get. Though, I think Ryou would look much prettier in a dress, if you ask me."

She pushed his arm away when it came to land around her shoulders, "You disturb me when you paint pictures like that with words."

He fought her hands and stuck his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and tightly hugging the girl, "I'm not so stupid as to not take partial responsibility for your lack of girly-love either," He spoke, his tone now serious. "In fact, we're all aware why the girls won't approach you."

Anzu snuck her arms around him and sighed. "I was hoping you guys were typical boys and was oblivious to the world of Venus. You're all far too smart for your own good, you know that?"

"That and gossip time after phys ed always helps. Boys talk just as much as girls. You know, Honda pummeled a guy into the ground for declaring you had the most delightful pair of 'breastisies' he'd ever come across-What!? It's true!"

"How would this guy know what kind of _breasts_ I have?" She screeched, her shrill voice ringing in his ear as she pushed him away in a huff.

He yanked her back in his embrace, "Well, they're perky and soft, rather large for a girl your age- OW! What was THAT for?" He howled, jerking away as his hands went protectively around his left leg. "You know that really smarts!"

"You deserved it!"

"You almost took out a very important part of me, I'll have you know! Mai would've been very disappointed-," He stopped when he saw the horrified look she had on her face. "What? You don't think all those 'private lessons' she gave me were for dueling, did you?"

Her embarrassed face confirmed the answer.

"Well," Jou felt his cheeks turn red. "They weren't," He stuttered.

"Yours and Mai's sexual activities aside," Her hands in the air as she closed her eyes trying to rid her mind of any disturbing images of a Yuugi or Ryou in a dress or Mai and Jou doing…well, what men and women were born to do with each other, unless they had preferences otherwise, in which case…

Anzu shook her head, "Your activities aside," She repeated, "What were YOU doing when Honda was taking care of that other guy?"

"I was taking care of his _four_ other friends, what else? They were talking about _them_ too." He pointed at the beings in question in an accusatory manner before Anzu glanced down at where his finger was pointing and folded her arms on her chest in a protective manner.

She wasn't sure if she should pummel Jou herself for bringing up a record amount of subjects-that-weren't-to-be-spoken-of or angry that boys in their school had the audacity to speak of her like that. Really! They didn't even _know_ her and that in her mind, gave them no right to speak of her as though she were some _broad_, as Ryou loved to say.

Realizing that he'd broken a sacred law of men that what was said in the locker room _stayed_ in the locker room, he sighed and proceeded to explain, "If one guy were checking you out- that'd be creepy, slightly stalker-ish. But you're the _man_ if a bunch of guys agree that a pair of knockers a girl has is the most amazing he's ever come across."

"Jou!" This time, he avoided her punch.

"I'm not going to condemn the ancient art of what men do- lusting after girls!"

"But you and Honda had no problems beating them up."

Jou shrugged, "Your honor had to be defended."

"This is the 21st first century." She muttered, "I can handle myself, thank you very much. In any case, where were Ryou and Yuugi when this happened? They're usually the peacekeepers."

Jou looked at her as though she had grown two heads, "Keeping the teachers away, what else?"

Her jaw dropped, "They _let_ you guys fight those boys?"

"Short of beating them up themselves- well, yeah!" He said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But-but-," She sputtered indignantly while her hands were up in the air as though asking God, 'why!?'

"It's like this…" He deepened his voice as a bunch of grunts emitted from his throat, "Ugga! Ugga! Me Tarzan! You Jane! Men have been doing this for centuries and will continue doing this."

A muscle on her face twitched as her pupils dilated, "I didn't want to know this. I can't even look at them in the face now,"

"It's not like I've revealed any names."

"Does that _really_ matter?"

"You're angry." He concluded, looking at her face in consternation.

"Well- yeah!" She looked at him as though he'd lost his mental faculties. Harrumphing, she stood up and smoothed her heavy school skirt before spinning on her heel and stalking away. "I don't want to talk to you anymore."

Jou jumped up and ran to her, swinging his arms around her shoulders, "No matter how much you wish for it to be otherwise, we are going to be together forever and ever and ever…"

She bared her teeth at him.

"Even if you're angry or you've done something questionable, you aren't going to get rid of us that easily. We're sticking by you, through thick and thin."

And no matter how disturbed and angry Anzu was at her blond-haired friend that moment, she couldn't help but feel very touched at the sentiment that she knew was meant to reassure her. She did want to punch him and scream her lungs out at the other three but at the very same time, she wanted to pull him, Honda, Yuugi, and Ryou in a tight hug and say very girly, sentimental things.

…Well goddamn, her period was really coming.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Well, I'm back as I usually am during the summers and I've got loads of time on my hands! I promise that we'll go back to the original storyline after this as I'm sure you're all itching for some Stalker-on-Anzu (or vice versa) action. This chapter was important though and despite the various jokes cracked in here, I don't want anybody to think Anzu is at all your typical girl who wants to fit in and be popular. Rather, it's hard for _any_ girl to deal with that sort of alienation especially from her own who are said to suppose to have her back being of the same sex. The fact that they don't is a big emotional blow to her and what better than a little bit of puppy-lovin' for our heroine? I assure you, this is not a Jou and Anzu fic. Their closeness merely portrays what a strong friendship the five of them have. I've also decided that it just doesn't seem right that Jou is speaking with a Brooklyn accent in this fiction when I'm trying to make it as close to the Japanese version as possible. Therefore, you will not be seeing that accent in literate form from this chapter on. 


	8. Chapter Seven

**Title**: Intoxication

**Part**: Chapter 07

**Author**: Svelte Rose

**Disclaimer**: I don't own them.

* * *

Balancing a tray of fruits and a small shopping bag, Mai hummed happily while she made her way into the small living room where an angry Anzu sat, arms crossed petulantly across her chest. Setting the tray down and dumping out a variety of nail polish bottles from the bag, she then moved over to the television set where she inserted a dvd and pressed 'play.'

Still humming, she turned back around before picking up a strawberry and holding it in front of the brunette. "Eat." The blond demanded smashing the fruit against Anzu's lips.

The brunette glared at the offensive piece of fruit before she took it from the blond and bit down into it, chewing furiously.

"I love strawberries," Mai commented before she flopped down on a plus pillow next to her friend. Picking up a file and taking one of Anzu's hand, her humming turned into a whistle while she filed away at the jagged ends, ignoring the 'harrumphs' her visitor was emitting.

"You sound like an elephant with asthma."

"I do not!" Anzu sputtered, yanking her hand away.

Mai rolled her eyes, "I'm trying to do you a favor, relax, will you?"

The irritation left the dancer's body as she turned apologetic eyes to Mai, "I'm sorry, I'm not myself today."

"You're menstruating, I know."

Two bright spots of red appeared on the brunette's cheek. "What else did Jou tell you?"

Mai shrugged, "Oh you know, this and that,"

"Which composes of…?" Blue eyes narrowed at lazy violet ones.

"How boys were checking your chest out," She said flippantly, picking up a bottle of clear nail-polish which 'Archangels' played on the screen in front of them.

At which, Anzu's jaw dropped and eyes bulged out.

"And," Mai quickly said before blowing on the fingernails, "How you needed some girl time."

Mouth immediately shut, Anzu looked forward at the plate of fruit before leaning forward and snagging the largest, juiciest strawberry she could find. "Yeah, yeah I did."

Mai pursed her lips and went to snag a strawberry for herself, "You have my phone number, you could've just called,"

"Kind of didn't want to,"

Feeling a bit offended, Mai narrowed her eyes at the brunette sitting next to her, "Well, I'm sorry if it doesn't make you comfortable that Jou and I are rocking it in bed-,"

"No, no!" Anzu quickly amended, unknowingly having hit an obvious sensitive subject with Mai and absolutely embarrassed, "I meant that I just didn't want to bother you knowing how busy you are,"

The irritation that ebbed Mai quickly went away as her heart softened, "Aw babe," She crooned while snuggling up to the brunette, "Just because I'm old-,"

"You're not old." She replied, deadpanned.

"Doesn't mean I'll never have time for you," Mai replied, inspecting Anzu's fingernails. "So what's the problem, love?"

Anzu sighed, "I don't like people hating me for no reason,"

"Ah, Asahi and her gang of bitches, I know them all too well, heard many things from Jou," She commented, sagely as though she had dealt with the problem numerous amounts of time. "Why do you let it bother you? It's not as though it bothered you before." Her words repeating what Jounouchi had said earlier to the brunette.

"It doesn't. It's the fact that based on her judgment alone, all the other girls in class won't even look at me."

Mai arched an eyebrow, "What about that chick, Miho?"

The brunette pilfered another strawberry, dipping it generously in a dish of whipped cream, "Her dad got relocated to the states so she had to move."

"I see," The blond replied before getting up and plopping down on the other side of Anzu, file in hand once more. "Seems like high school hasn't changed since I left. Girls will be girls and it's about time you stop worrying your pretty little head about it."

Interested, Anzu turned to her friend, "What happened when you were in school?"

"Girls didn't like me, I didn't like them." Mai quipped. "If one didn't like you, the rest of them will follow."

"Why didn't they like you?"

"I was gorgeous, the men wanted me and not them- what _wasn't_ there to be jealous about?"

Anzu could only chuckle, amused instead of offended by the blatant arrogance, "I love you, you know that?"

The blond flipped her luscious blond curls over her shoulder and responded, "What isn't there to love?" And then a feral glint shimmered in those violet pools before she smirked at the jovial brunette, "Now tell me about those love letters of yours."

"Wh-what? How did you- who told- what!?" She sputtered, red coloring her cheeks once more.

"You don't think Jou was the only one to give me a call, did you?"

An hour later after much teasing and prying from Mai and glares shot at the blond, Anzu gave the letters and hogged the dish of what remaining strawberries was left.

"Oh, this is just too perfect!" She gushed at the grumbling brunette who shoved strawberry after strawberry into her mouth. "American love poems and one Japanese- hey Anzu!"

"What?" She gurgled with a full mouth of mashed fruit.

"How come you haven't opened this one?"

"What you mean?" She gurgled again, her eyes on the screen.

Mai looked at her, "I'm sorry, what did you say? I was too distracted by the half-eaten food rolling around in that cave of yours."

Shooting the blond an embarrassed look and swallowing the fruit, Anzu looked at the pile of letters she had given her and noticed that one _really_ did remain unopened. "I thought I opened them all."

"Apparently not. Open it." She demanded, very curious as to what it held.

Shuffling her way through a pile of throw pillows, Anzu crawled over to the proffered envelope before slipping her finger underneath the cover and ripping it open. Pulling out the card, Mai leaned in and her nose scrunched up as though she was onto something great.

"That smells like perfume," She wondered out loud, sniffing it some more.

Anzu nodded lazily with a 'hmm' while skimming the contents of the pristine card, "They all smell like perfume."

"Really?" At this, Mai picked up all the discarded ones and started going through them, sometimes going back and switching between envelopes.

Anzu sniffed her card and was amused to find that the scent reminded her of vanilla, jasmine and something slightly muskier- wood maybe? "Smells nice,"

"Alright," The blond held up the first letter that Anzu ever received, "This is '_Lucky_' by Claiborne. I'm surprised they even have a bottle because it's been discontinued and the only way you can get them is through online auctions." Pausing ever so slightly to throw the brunette a worried glance, "I think your admirer is a female. They're all female perfumes."

"Huh, sort of unbelievable, don't you think? I would've gotten some idea."

Mai shrugged, "Some people might just be better at hiding their feelings."

"It doesn't make sense; school doesn't let us wear perfume and with most of us stuck after school due to extra curriculars, I don't see what the point of buying all these different perfumes is of any use. I'm not so narcissistic to think that they bought them all for this one purpose only." She replied, re-reading the newest letter once more.

"Aha!" Mai yelled as she held up two letters in triumph.

This only served to startle the brunette who dropped the letter to the floor and then stare incredulously at the blond, "Wh-what?"

Holding up the second and third letter that she'd received, Mai quickly waved one under Anzu's nose and then the other, "Second one is Dior _Addict_ and the third is Tommy Bahamas." She dropped the two letters in the pile and snatched the letter that Anzu had dropped. Taking a couple of sniffs, her face scrunched up in concentration before her eyes opened and she nodded with certainly, "Armani _Code_. Whoever your admirer is has quite a collection of women's perfume. It's creepy, in a sweet-sort of way. I think."

"Do you recognize the poem?" She asked of the blond, moving to sit side by side next to her.

Scanning the card quickly, Mai shook her head and placed it neatly back into the envelope, "Not something classic, very contemporary. Funny thing is, it matches the mood of the perfume."

"Mood of the perfume? Perfume's have moods?" She asked, now entirely confused.

Mai shrugged, "Nothing deep like the 'heart of the cards' that Yuugi was always going on about. Rather, it's just that certain perfumes carry certain sentiments with it. What's interesting is that the perfumes have moved from 'fun and happy' to 'romantic dinner and sex.'" Holding up an arm at the rash bout of angry words she knew Anzu was going to throw at her, she continued, "Armani Code is a very sensual scent. Claiborne's Lucky, on the other hand, is light and fun. Not at all seductive or mysterious."

"So the person is trying to seduce me with scents?" The irritated girl questioned, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Anzu," Mai said, her voice tinged with a bit of disbelief, "You _do_ know what this poem refers to right?"

Her friend laughed nervously before looking down at the pile of letters, "I've never been one for poetry."

"He _wants_ you, and he wants you _bad_."

* * *

Waving good-bye to the red sports car, now at the end of the street, Anzu hugged her school bag close before turning up the driveway and walking towards the front door. Unsettled and disturbed by what Mai had said, she quickened her steps when strong gust of wind blew through the air. Fumbling with her keys, the conversation she had with the blond while driving home played out like a broken reel.

"'_Let me take you, daughter of the fields to the lover's vineyard. The wine we press will quench the fires of longing.'" Mai recited, swerving to turn before giving the card back to Anzu, "Please enlighten me as to what you thought the poem meant by _that_." _

_Anzu chuckled nervously again, "I didn't really read into it, persay. I sort of skimmed over it. It seemed sweet enough."_

"_Sweet?" Mai snorted, "That poem has nothing to do with sweet. It's all about seduction and post-coital bliss. You had the birds and the bees talk with your mother, didn't you?"_

_As much as Anzu loved the blond, she sometimes wanted to strangle her for being so condescending of others' sexual knowledge and what she believed to be a lack of suck, "I think we can say that's a safely covered ground." She bit back._

_Mai glanced over as they pulled to a stop at the red light, "I'm aware of your stunt with Ryou." A gasp was heard. "Look, I don't mean to be so blunt-,"_

"_Yes you do. You always are." The brunette cut in._

_Mai continued on as though she hadn't been interrupted, "But you really need to stop being so naive and start looking at the world as though it's not all rainbows and sunshine. Ryou was good for a first time pick-,"_

"_It was an accident." Anzu found herself interjecting once more._

_Irritated at having been interrupted so many times, Mai sighed heavily, "Your naiveté worries me. You can't be friends with everyone. Those you can't be friends with fall into two categories: the ones that don't like you or the ones that want more from you. The ones that don't like you usually act in a predictable manner- they lash out or they ignore you; their actions' only intent is to hurt you. The ones that want more from you are more dangerous because they're harder to predict. There's a very thin line between love and hate and the most dangerous part is when these feelings fall under obsession."_

_Anzu watched Mai's face, having seen the flicker of fear underneath. "What happened to you?" _

_Bitter, violet eyes turned to her, "Ever wondered why I stopped modeling?" _

_Anzu didn't answer, wouldn't answer. _

_"Don't let your guard down, babe."_

The wind stopped and the air was eerily silent, Anzu twitched when a slight rustling was heard, followed by the audible sound of a branch snapping. Dropping her keys, she jerked around and searched the yard. Seeing nothing, she shook her head and rolled her eyes, feeling incredibly stupid before bending down and picking up her keys. Inserting the metal piece and turning, the brunette entered the front door and shut it behind her.

Stepping out from behind a large tree, hands tucked in his pants and jacket snug around his body, dark blue eyes watched as lights switched on and off in different rooms, indicating the brunette's ascent, relief filling his chest. She hadn't come home with that European boy, thank goodness.

He was glad it was a rather chilly night out. If the tightening below his belt was any indication of how the brunette greatly affected him, then he would take any help from the elements so that the walk home was as painless as possible.

* * *

**Note**: I'm glad how this story is rolling along now and after this chapter, I'm glad I can finally say that things will start heating up from here on out. The stalker's identity won't be revealed just yet; we've got to torture him a bit and get him all crazy over her (if he isn't now). Moohaha…

Oh yes, the poem is a contemporary poem from _The Essential Rumi_. It's called 'Night Songs' with more than one indication that the 'songs' we're thinking of is an entirely different variety of music indeed. Until next time!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Title**: Intoxication

**Part**: Chapter 08

**Author**: Svelte Rose

**Disclaimer**: I don't own them.

* * *

Having not received a letter for nearly three weeks and the memory of the unsettling discussion with Mai fading in the background, Anzu dove into studying for exams and preparation for the performance of the play. Now that exams were over and the performance having ended with success just the previous weekend, Anzu could hardly say 'no' when four able-bodied young men dragged her to a classmate's winter vacation bash. The air was chilly and some snow had fallen on the ground but the mesh of various high school students squeezed in every nook and cranny generated loads of body heat. It was to the point where the brunette found herself shrugging off her jacket and pulling off the heavy sweater she had on.

Where did all these people come from anyways?

Lounging around the entertainment system where a few of her classmates stood chatting or flipping through the song selection, she tapped her feet to the music as the hyper-active voice of Ayumi Hanasaki boomed through the house.

A familiar pair of kind, amethyst-colored eyes met hers as the man pushed his way through the crowd, two glasses of punch with one in each hand. Shoving one glass towards her, Anzu could already make out the flushed cheeks and the sheen of sweat that decorated his forehead.

"Take it, it's really good!" He shouted over the music while she took the drink and sipped on it.

She could taste the bitterness of alcohol but it did not bother her so much since there seemed to be an abundance of fruit punch mixed it. By the looks of it, it seemed as though Yuugi had absolutely no friggin' clue that the punch had been spiked.

"Come on, Anzu! You love to dance, dance with me!" He yelled before his body was swallowed by the crowd on the dance floor. Ever so popular, he found his tipsy-self surrounded by various fans from their school and other exuberant people dancing and rubbing up against each other (and him). Shrugging, he started jumping (not to the beat of the music), hooting at the top of his lungs.

Honda and Jounouchi, both even more flushed than he was, joined him on the dance floor and began jumping with him, more in beat. Moving bodies and three random heads bouncing up and down were probably not the most common sight, Anzu surmised. Yet, nobody seemed to bother with them as the music, mixed with crowd's noise seemed to energize the students even more.

"You don't seem like you're having fun," A voice spoke very close, hot air fluttering into her ear.

Anzu turned her head to see who it was, then gave a loud shriek before launching herself at Otogi who stumbled back from the happy greeting. Not one to be beat out by a mere girl, he returned the embrace tenfold and even picked her up. He would've swung her too had they not been stuck in such a narrow corner with wires and such all over the place.

"What are you doing here? I thought this was high school students only!" She screamed, her loud voice muffled by the music and crowd.

Used to these kinds of scenarios, Otogi grinned, leaning in, "My friend invited me!" At which he stepped aside where a familiar looking boy was standing there, holding three drinks while he laughed at something another girl had said. Tugging at his arm and spilling some of the drinks, Otogi said interrupted the two and said, "Meet my friend, Kata!"

The handsome boy grinned before leaning in and giving the surprised brunette a peck, "And what's your name, sweetheart?" His lips brushing her ear.

Amused, she answered back, cheek pressing against cheek, "I'm Anzu! Aren't you in my class?"

"Yes! Third row, second from the left!" Kata yelled in her ear.

"Stop hogging the goods and share it!" Otogi interjected, snatching two cups from his friend's hands.

"Awe come on, I was gonna drink them!"

Anzu laughed, "All by yourself?"

Kata shrugged his broad shoulders before winking at her, "What can I say, I like my liquor."

By this point, Otogi had already guzzled his drink down. Smiling, Anzu started to drink her own share. Swallowing a rather large mouthful, she grimaced and pushed the drink back at Otogi, "Ugh, that tastes disgusting!"

Otogi glanced at her with wide-eyes, "Really?" Taking it from her hands, he chugged it just as he had his own drink, "Taste fine to me!"

Anzu and Kata shared an amused look before she was yanked off-balance by the tall, green-eyed boy and pulled into the mesh of bodies with one phrase:

"Let's dance!"

* * *

Having been blind for most of her teenage years, Shizuka Kawai's ears and nose were especially sensitive to their respective elements. But despite the loud music and the stench of stale beer and smoke in the air, she grinned happily as her and her giggling schoolmates hurried into the crowded house. Drinks were shoved into their hands by happy students and somehow, one of them even ended up with a lei.

It was winter, for christssakes.

Laughing it off as though it were a common occurrence, she could hardly help her surprise when she found herself pressed up against the wall with some guy's alcohol-infused breath blowing into her face. She pressed even more into the wall to put some space between them, an expression of disgust clearly printed on her face.

"Little girl coming out to play?" His voice was thick and drunk.

_Ewe_. Shizuka's nose scrunched up. He did not smell good. He did not look good. So whatever he was trying to get at, he was definitely not succeeding.

A combative glint in her eyes, she spread her legs apart which the drunkard took as an indication she was all too willing to participate in his games with him and he leaned in. Just as she was about to wrench her knee up and make sure he was incapacitated long enough to not enjoy the rest of the part, she felt his entire weight lift off her small frame. Looking up, she watched in awe as a guy with an oddly shaped, yet familiar haircut drag the drunk by the back of his jacket and thrown to the floor.

"Honda?" Shizuka shrieked, her knee frozen in mid-air. Dazed and cheeks pink from the entire ordeal to truly appreciate the outburst of masculinity from one of her brother's best friends, she barely caught his next words.

"Don't touch my girl, bitch!" He snarled before throwing a punch.

And all chaos broke loose.

* * *

Anzu trudged up the stairs, escaping the melee that was going on just below. Things like this were common at these random parties and she sure as hell didn't want to get caught in it. At the first instance of alcohol, it was as though their several centuries of social and technological progression went down the drain and all human kind reverted back to caveman ways.

As if to prove her point, an inhuman scream sounded over the shouting crowd but the brunette hardly noticed as she pulled off another article of clothing, leaving her in an old, raggy tank top. Dizzy and vision blurry from the alcohol, she attributed her spiking body heat to the aftereffects of whatever had been placed in that punch bowl. Her stomach felt especially warm and she felt very, very strange.

Couldn't really put a finger on it.

Weird enough, her head felt extremely cool and light, as though it were its own, floating being. She hardly noticed being yanked into a room and when she did gather herself, she peered lazily at the room and guessed it to be a study. Her vision was blocked immediately by a pair of dark blue eyes, and before she knew it, his lips were on hers.

Gently, he laced his fingers with her slender ones and pressed them firmly against the wall above her head. There was a faint scent of sweat and alcohol and she could still taste the sweetness of the fruit punch on his lips before his tongue made its entry into her mouth. He was pressing her into the wall and Anzu didn't even bother suppressing a small, content moan as he trailed kisses down her neck and across her collarbone. Her eyes fluttering and cheeks flushed, her back arched immediately as he reached into the valley of her chest. She made a small sound of protest when his mouth left her skin but then sighed again when she felt him continuing his ministrations. "_So cool, so cool_." She slurred so thickly, they could hardly be called words.

Head barely functioning from the onslaught of lust-induced thoughts, she knew somewhere in the back of her mind that she should be protesting. But that meant having to produce the motor skills of talking which she currently didn't have. The only sounds she could make were non-descript ones: deep moans and breathy sighs. She was only concentrated on how cool his skin felt and how relieving it was every time it came into contact with her own feverish one. Before she knew it, her hand snuck under his shirt and of their own accord, began roaming his torso.

Eyes snapped right open when she felt the proof of whatever they were doing pressed on her thigh, Anzu felt slightly scared, Mai's words ringing loudly in her ears. As if sensing her hesitation, he met her lips again and kissed her deeply.

Her eyes slowly lidded shut and to her surprise, she found she didn't even have the ability to feel embarrassment or shame at how open she was acting. Thoughts of reason were no match for the frenzy of hormones her body was raging with. Not to mention, people had a tendency to legitimize what they were doing; she was _not_ above the norm.

_This is only one time. It can't hurt. We won't go any further than this._ Were some of the thoughts flying through her mind at the time.

Eager to meet skin with skin, her hands, now with a mind of their own, went to press against his navel, fingers raking the pant-line. He had shuddered in delight before reaching down and grabbing her hands, stilling her motion. Wanting to see his face, she opened her eyes but since he was still kissing her and with the room pitch black, Anzu couldn't catch any feature.

While he made the assault on her lips, a gasp of surprise sounded from her mouth as he lifted her shirt, scrunching them up under her armpits. There was a quick intake when both hands cupped her bare breasts and she found that both her own hands were now threaded in his thick hair.

_It was too hot in this room._

Pulling him even closer to her, Anzu was too caught up on his ministrations to pay attention to anything else or even to realize that someone had been calling her name out in the hallway. It was when he stilled completely that she finally regained her ability to speak.

"What?" She eloquently questioned him, her words a breathy sigh.

The man groaned and hung his head, a few colorful words under his breath before stepping back and yanking her shirt back down. Pressing his sweaty forehead to hers, he whispered a faint 'good-bye' before stalking away towards the bookcases.

"Wait," Another breathy sigh. Her eyes blinked, trying to clear her alcohol-induced vision as she watched his profile retreat into the darkness. She then blinked long and hard as the door swung open to her left.

Wait a minute- the door was on her left?

Confused, she closed her eyes at the sudden attack of bright light coming in from the hall and heard the intruder sigh in relief. "Thank goodness you're here, I thought you got caught downstairs in the brawl. Honda is in so much trouble! Shizuka is in even bigger trouble when Jounouchi finds out that she's here!" Otogi rambled as he went to turn on the light switch.

And he would've said more had Anzu not chosen that appropriate time to fall to the floor, an unladylike snore following a few seconds later.

* * *

Breathing heavily, he leaned against the back of the bookcase, pressing against the cool wall as he closed his eyes tightly.

When she came stalking in the hallway, ripping off her shirt with only an old tank top on, his emotions got the better of him and he couldn't help himself. Before he knew it, he had yanked her into the room and from there, it was a lost battle. It was so easy to lose himself in her sinewy limbs and soft skin. She had been so responsive, her breathy sighs evidence that she was not totally against what was going on. But he knew that even in his own alcohol induced state, it was something that normally would _not_ have happened.

But it did and to his shame, he wanted _more_. More than the mere accidental brushes in the hallways and certainly more relief than what his hand provided. Thank goodness he had more self-control than that; he nearly took her against the wall when she brushed dangerously close to his belt area. There was a small moment where she hesitated and he feared she would push him away. He took that chance to kiss her, show her what he felt when he couldn't say it to her face, show her how she affected him, and not let go.

He wanted to listen to those breathy sighs again, feel her fevered skin against his own. Their bodies molded perfectly together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and even if he should be satisfied, he wasn't _by far_.

He slammed the wall with a fist as the realization occurred to him.

Pandora's box had sprung wide opened and there was no way anybody would be able to close it.

* * *

**Note**: Let me say that I am not promoting being drunk at parties and getting yourself in a situation that Anzu found herself in. Our heroine is lucky that her friend came looking for her and that her mysterious kisser had enough self-restraint to pull back. With that said, I apologize if it got too steamy for some of you in this chapter but I hope you enjoyed it none-the-less! Ah yes, thank you to the readers who spotted mistakes and helped correct the technicalities and mechanical errors these chapters may have! You guys are the best! 


	10. Chapter Nine

**Title**: Intoxication  
**Part**: Chapter 09  
**Author**: Svelte Rose  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own them.

* * *

A loud groan echoed through the room as the occupant flipped slowly to her side. Cursing the rising sun for disturbing her peaceful slumber, she threw a hand over her eyes and was awarded with the awareness of muscles too sore to move. The other hand pulled at the covers as hard as it could manage but not before a hiss of pain was heard.

Blinking wearily from underneath a palm and through two fingers, Anzu surveyed the unfamiliar room with sleep weary eyes. With very little energy, she peered underneath the covers and to her great relief, saw that she was fully clothed. Relief quickly turned into outrage as she saw that the clothes she wore were not her own. Thousands of possibilities pounded through her head at the moment and none were pretty at all.

It didn't make sense though; if she had been taken _advantage_ of (Anzu shuddered at this), why would the person dress her up again? Then again just because she was clothed fully didn't mean that nothing happened. Her breath hitched and she realized the beginnings of hyperventilation as her control started to shatter while the realization of the possibility sank in. She needed to think and recall what she could of the night before. Maybe it would explain why she was currently disposed in a room she'd never seen before. Slowly breathing in and out of her nose calmly, she tried willing the pounding headache away but found it only served to lessen the pain a tiny bit. Her muscles were screaming as though she'd run a marathon the night before.

She definitely didn't do that, she knew for sure.

Gritting her teeth, she painfully threw one leg from the bed and rolled off the bed with a loud 'thump.'

_Not good_. She thought to herself as she held her head in her hands while her body screamed with pain.

"Oh God, Anzu!" An all-too-familiar voice gasped before gentle hands were around her arms and dragging her back to the bed.

"Mai?" She questioned in a hoarse whisper. "Is that you?" When her senses were assaulted with the familiar perfume her closest female friend always wore, an insurmountable feeling of relief engulfed her as she clenched tightly to Mai.

"Yeah," The blond answered quickly before lifting her legs up onto the bed and running over to the window to close the curtains.

"Thanks." Anzu smiled with relief as the room was dimmed.

Mai glared at the brunette before another body came rushing in through the door.

"How's her body temperature?" He quickly asked before hurrying to Anzu and pressing a hand to her forehead.

"Better." She quipped, settling herself into a nearby chair.

"Where am I?" Anzu asked in another hoarse whisper.

"My house. I'm renting it for a couple of months while I do business here." Otogi explained quickly as he fished out a remote control from a nearby nightstand and turned on the air conditioner. "You're probably not feeling the best right now so you should probably get more rest."

Anzu shook her head but winced when the slight motion intensified the throbbing pain in her head, "Where's the others?" She gritted out, her voice still raspy and dry.

Otogi pulled the covers over her body, "Yugi, Jounouchi, and Honda are all passed out in the living room. Don't worry, we've been taking care of you all night."

That apparently wasn't the best thing to say to Anzu as she groaned and covered her face with both hands. "I'm so sorry Otogi, I don't know what got into me. I don't even remember drinking that much."

"You didn't." Mai quipped from across the room as she watched her with a troubled eye.

Anzu winced. "It certainly feels like it..."

"It's alright, don't worry." Otogi said with a grin as he patted her head gently, the ministration calming her.

"Mmm." The brunette murmured before succumbing to sleep.

Once they knew she'd fallen deep asleep, both stood up and quickly exited the room, a pair of violet eyes boring deep into a pair of emerald green ones.

Otogi felt immensely guilty but was severely relieved that nothing had happened to the four high school students. Especially Anzu.

"Her drink was laced with something, wasn't it?" Mai questioned with the authority of a mother.

Otogi combed a hand through his unruly hair and nodded, "Everyone's drink was laced with something. I'm guessing Anzu got something extra _along with the extra_."

"Meaning…" Mai trailed off, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm going to kill the bastard who slipped it in her drink." Otogi said quietly as he glared at the floor as though it were at fault.

"You mean date rape?" She questioned, shock evident in her voice.

"Worse," He murmured before meeting her violet eyes once more, "Someone slipped Speed in her drink. I don't know who and I don't know when, all I know is that last night, when we were running her body under that cold shower, had the dosage been any higher, we would've had to bring her to the emergency room. Thank goodness her parents are out of town. I would hate to explain this to them."

Mai clenched her jaw, "Yeah, me too."

"And I'm glad we don't know who did it." Otogi said, a bit of his boyish mischief apparent in his eyes once more.

At this, Mai jerked back and glared accusingly at him, "What!? How could you _say_ that?" She practically hissed.

He grinned, which only served to incense the blond even more, "Because we'd have an even harder time explaining why you killed the son of a bitch that slipped her the drug."

"We wouldn't _have_ to explain _anything_," Mai headed down the stairs. "They wouldn't know about it because they wouldn't find the body."

* * *

Anzu awoke, light-headed and fuzzy before catching sight of two violet orbs staring at her with a look she wasn't particularly fond of.

"Drink this."

A glass of water was placed in Anzu's hands and she murmured a grateful thanks before drinking large gulps to quench her parched throat. Peering around the room, her sensitive eyes caused her to wince when she caught the source of light from a small bedside lamp, "Where's Otogi?" She asked, memories coming back slowly but surely.

"He's gone to take care of the boys. Honda's hangover is a bit tough to deal with." Came the clipped tones.

Anzu noticed her entire body felt like lead and the sensation of a hammer pounding at her skull was growing, intensifying when she shook it a little, "Oh god, did anything happen?"

"You were drugged." Mai succinctly answered, her defensive posture belying her concern and worry.

"What!?" Was the harsh whisper before a hiss of pain was heard as she slowly laid back down into the bed.

"Yep. Speed." The blond said, pursing her lips while looking away.

Anzu drew back at the anger in her eyes, "I wouldn't take something like that! Are you _sure_ it was speed?"

"I know you wouldn't!" Came the harsh answer as Mai jerked forward making Anzu shrink into her covers. "But somebody slipped that drug into your system."

Anzu gulped, "Why are you so angry?" She asked, rather hurt at the accusatory tone.

Mai licked her lips as though it was a habit of keeping herself in check, "I'm not accusing you, honey," She groaned. "But what happened to our talk of keeping yourself safe and watching out for those taking advantage of you?"

"I didn't know, am I the only one it happened to?" She feebly responded.

Mai shrugged, "Otogi found out the drug was being sold near the garden shed in the back. He went to get you guys out of there in case the cops came. Unfortunately, Honda and Jou were caught in a fist fight while you were no where to be found."

"Where was I found then?" She asked as small flashes of memories containing kisses and roaming hands assaulted her. Did something happen last night before Otogi found her? If so, what?

"Upstairs, in a room by yourself. Otogi swears he saw someone disappear into the wall but he couldn't be sure. The guy was long gone by then after he turned on the lights."

Anzu gasped. So it wasn't a dream. Her countenance grew even paler as she looked down at the covers, "I only had a few drinks. That's all."

"Did you get them yourself or were they handed to you?" Mai asked, a frown marring her beautiful features.

"Yugi and Jou got me some drinks, I got a couple myself and some school friends handed me a few glasses- it was just spiked punch." Anzu answered as she licked her dry lips.

"Yours was spiked punch laced with drugs, babe." Mai sighed. Throwing her arms around the startled brunette, she hugged the slender girl tightly, "I am so glad nothing happened to you though."

Anzu hugged her back just as tight, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes, "Me too. Me too."

* * *

After hugging Otogi tightly through the car window, she whispered a quick thanks in his ear and kissed him on the cheek.

A roguish grin was thrown her way accompanied by a wink, "That's all I get?"

"Lunch on me, wherever you want." She grinned, eager to pay back for all the trouble.

Otogi waved it off with his hand. Then as if thinking about it, he stopped and smirked, "Lunch _and_ dinner, your treat of course."

"Of course!" She chirped. Her happy countenance quickly turned grim, however, as she leaned in towards the car window, "Listen Otogi, thank you so much for finding me. I don't know what got into me and I'm so sorry for causing you all this trouble."

He patted her cheek, "Anzu, we're friends, friends are there for you when they're needed, am I not right?" At her nod, he continued, "Look, nothing happened. You're allowed to let loose once in a while. Lord knows you hardly go out aside from that dance training of yours, your home, and school. Besides, I'm getting two free meals out of this. I don't see anything worth complaining about."

She chuckled, "So easy to please."

"I'm a simple man, what can I say?" He flashed another flirtatious grin before waving goodbye and zooming off.

Anzu watched until the car turned out of sight before heading towards her porch, hand searching her bag for her house keys. Thankfully, her parents were out of the country on a business trip. Otherwise, her disappearance last night would've been a hard one to explain.

Making her way up the stairs, head poking into her bag for the missing keys, she didn't noticed the innocent bundle lying on the 'welcome' mat until it was too late. With a surprised gasp and wide eyes, she felt her legs tangle up in one another as she stumbled towards the door, hitting it with a smack.

It did nothing to help her already aching muscles.

"_What the heck was that_?" She spoke to no one in particular, looking down. Her embarrassment at the slight mishap quickly turned into one of quick amazement.

There, in layers of cellophane and ribbons laid a large bouquet of perfectly stemmed, orchids, baby's breath lacing between each stem all topped off with a bed of ferns. She could smell the flowers' perfume from where she stood. The effect was nothing short of the most amazing bouquet she'd ever seen…in fact, she'd never received a bouquet before.

And she knew it was hers immediately. Swimming in ribbons and cellophane poked out a single, white envelope. Inscribed on the front was her name, the all-too familiar penmanship following the script: _For Anzu Mazaki_.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Title**: Intoxication  
**Part**: Chapter 10  
**Author**: Svelte Rose  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own them.

Winter vacation had come, passing quickly and Anzu spent most of it doing the homework assigned over the break. When she wasn't doing homework, she was spending time with her elusive parents who had arrived on Christmas Eve but they had another conference in Paris the week after the New Year. Waving at them from her side of the terminal, Anzu watched as her father struggled with their bags, muttering under his breath while her mother, arms free of anything but her own purse, turned around and blew kisses at her.

"We'll call when we arrive in Paris, love!" Her mother's clear voice rang out before they disappeared through the doors.

Sighing contently, Anzu stuck her hands into the pockets of her thick winter jacket before turning on her heel to leave the busy place. Suddenly thrown off her balance, Anzu stumbled a few feet before glancing behind her and catching the familiar, guilty face of Mokuba Kaiba.

"Mokuba?" She tilted her head, "Is that you?"

He blushed, his round cheeks turning bright red as he shuffled his feet nervously, "Sorry about that Anzu, I didn't mean to knock into you."

She wondered how possible it was for someone as cute as him be related to the block of ice she had for a classmate. She held up her hands and smiled reassuringly, "No, no, that's fine. Accidents happen all the time. Are you here by yourself?"

Mokuba shook his head, "I'm waiting for Seto with our chauffeur but I had to go to the bathroom."

She narrowed her eyes, suspicious, "You're lost aren't you?"

"No, I'm not-," Mokuba lied, embarrassed at having been caught.

No sooner than when those words left his mouth did the human ice block swoop from in from the crowd, the hundreds of people parting like the Red Sea did for Moses, trench coat billowing, his features twisted in concern and worry. With a briefcase in one arm and his free arm snatching Mokuba, Seto Kaiba didn't even bother to regard the brunette before pulling his sibling into a tight hug.

"Seto!" Mokuba hugged back tightly, relieved and happy.

Once Seto released him, his features hardened and in a stern voice, he said, "You're not supposed to run off like that. Do I need to ground you again?"

Mokuba shook his head viciously, his huge mop of hair bouncing.

While Kaiba wasn't a sociable person by far, Anzu was rather bemused by the endearing sight before her. After all, not everyone was able to catch this caring side of Kaiba.

"Mazaki? What are you doing here?" Seto's voice knocked her from her musings.

She jolted to a start and blinked several times before registering what question he'd asked her, "Oh. Uh, I was sending my parents off. They left for another conference to Paris, France."

Seto's expression clearly showed he didn't care and had only asked out of manners.

Anzu felt ridiculously stupid and shuffled her feet much like Mokuba had done earlier. "Well," She chirped brightly, startling the two Kaibas, "I'm going to get going. It was nice seeing you again Mokuba!"

Mokuba waved happily at her and she returned with a bright smile of her own. Then looking up at Kaiba, she nodded stiffly receiving the same in return before she started towards the exits.

"Well, that was awkward." She muttered under her breath.

Seto hadn't even realized he'd been staring at his classmate's retreating back until the impatient jerk of his arm by his kid brother reminded him they had a schedule to keep to.

"What is it, Mokuba?" He asked as they started towards the same exits Anzu Mazaki had just gone through.

"Can we give Anzu a ride home? Look, she's waiting for a taxi." Mokuba pointed out at the girl standing on the sidewalk waiting for her turn to catch one of them while people pushed and shoved from all sides.

"I don't think that'll be necessary. Come on, I had my assistant make reservations at your favorite restaurant." Seto tugged, trying to dissuade his brother from inviting the peppy cheerleader into their hour-long car ride back towards Domino.

"Why isn't it necessary?" Natural curiosity compelled the boy to ask.

Seto blinked as he formulated an answer, "I'm not sure she'll appreciate it. Besides, we don't really know her that well-,"

"Not true! The limo is far more comfortable than the taxi! And I know her! _You _know her!" Mokuba stated as he pulled his arm towards the waiting girl.

_Not really. _Seto thought. "It's too forward. We can't- wait- no- Mokuba! Come back!" He all but hissed, his blue eyes glittering dangerously. At that point, Mokuba had let go of his hand and was running towards the brunette who'd just successfully flagged down her own taxi.

"Anzu!" Mokuba called.

Anzu had just reached for the door but paused when her name had been called. That pause was all it took for someone behind her push her out of the way and make their way into the taxi. Blinking profusely and annoyed at what just happened, she searched for the source of the voice who called her and found Mokuba tugging at her coat.

"Seto says we can give you a ride back!" He said eagerly, tugging at the tail of her coat constantly.

"Er…" Anzu's speech articulation went out the window at the shock of the invitation, "Kaiba said what?"

"Well actually, Seto didn't think it was necessary. Something about it being too awkward or whatever which is weird because why would it be awkward?" Mokuba questioned innocently.

Anzu chuckled nervously, "Mokuba, I'm fine with taking a taxi, really! I don't want to trouble you guys-"

"No, I insist!" Mokuba tugged her tailcoat, his big blue eyes imploring at her.

"Mokuba!" Seto barked when he finally caught sight of them.

Mokuba was unaffected and he turned his large eyes to his brother, small hand still attached to Anzu's jacket. "Seto, tell her!"

Anzu watched forlornly as another taxi took off with a car full of passengers.

Seto groaned inwardly. From what he gathered, the invitation had been extended and couldn't be drawn back without great embarrassment on his part at offending his classmate. Of course he never batted an eye to insult her before but to do so in front of his youngest and only sibling was out of the question. So with weariness, he took a deep breath, "Mazaki?"

Anzu turned back at him then looked down at Mokuba, then back at him again, "Oh yeah, sorry, what?"

"Would you like a ride home?" The words sounded foreign to him, even having come from his own mouth. He felt like a robot, pre-programmed to say these words for such a situation like this.

She blushed, knowing full well that neither of them wanted to be stuck in a closed area for the hour-long drive back into the city.

"It's alright, I don't want to be a bother really. Look, see?" She tried to deflect them again while pointing at an oncoming yellow car. "I'll just take this taxi-"

Mokuba was confused, "But Anzu, we're going to the same area. It's a waste of gas if we take two cars back there."

"Yeah, heh heh," She chuckled nervously, "That _is_ a waste of gas. But really, I don't live anywhere near you so it's troublesome if you have to go out of your way to-,"

"It's no trouble." Seto felt his lips moving, cutting off her blabber, before he could catch himself. Inwardly, he punched himself. They were both very aware of their tumultuous history together all except for little Mokuba who was watching Anzu with immense confusion.

Mokuba pouted, "Do you not like us Anzu?"

Seto wanted to slap his brother upside the head for asking such a blunt question like that.

"Oh no, I like you very- you guys- I like you guys- Yes, of course I like you!" She finally blustered out.

"Then there's no problem riding the limo with us." Mokuba answered as though the entire situation was like solving a simple math equation.

Anzu looked at Seto for confirmation but only found a rather vacant look on his face, no emotions registered whatsoever.

_Obviously no help there._

"Master Kaiba?" A distinguished elderly gentleman in a nicely pressed suit interrupted the three. "Your car is ready."

"Oh. Right." Seto turned and looked at the limo as though it was something foreign.

Mokuba quickly grabbed Anzu's hand and tugged her, "Come on!"

_Oh no._ Anzu knew she was in deep this time. She bit her cheek and threw Seto an apologetic look as she was dragged forcibly into the sleek black vehicle.

Seto sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. What a long ride it was going to be.

He was wrong. The awkwardness in the ride was nothing compared to their current situation. Seated across from each other with a jabbering Mokuba between them, Seto and Anzu looked everywhere but at each other while they waited for their food to come.

Anzu was mortified. There was no love lost between her and Kaiba; that, she knew. Mokuba apparently had absolutely no idea the kind of animosity that existed between him and her friends and consequently with her, which made it all the more awkward to refuse the younger Kaiba when he invited her to dinner without a single thought.

She had protested, mainly due to her lack of dress. After all, a sweater and jeans were not exactly acceptable for the posh restaurant they'd taken her to. Mokuba had flattered her choice of dress; thus, her objection shot down. She then protested at not having brought her wallet and therefore couldn't possibly buy dinner. Mokuba said she must have because she needed it for the taxi she was going to take and how could they ever allow her to pay? _Apparently, the wrong impression had been given._ Anzu had blushed deeply at this, all the time stuttering out that she hadn't meant to make them pay- far from it! But she had trouble making the words come out. In the end, she settled for apologizing, thanking them for letting her join the dinner. This was a paradox; usually she was so much better composed than the simpering mess she'd turned into.

Objecting any further seemed like a futile attempt with a perseverant elementary boy arguing with her. Thus, she ended up with her best friends' archenemy seated across from her, laying his dinner napkin out as though nothing was wrong.

This was certainly his element.

Had Seto known her thoughts, he would've immediately told her she was wrong. The prospects of having a nice, peaceful dinner after his long flight home had gone out the window the moment Mokuba opened his mouth. And now, he was stuck with the fact that he had to tolerate the bubbly cheerleader's company for the rest of the night. Watching her from the corner of his eye, he smirked when he noticed her fidgeting; only paying attention to half of what was coming out of Mokuba's mouth.

GOOD. He wasn't the only uncomfortable one here.

Just because two people on opposite ends of the spectrum was having dinner together, it did not make them any less the enemies that they were. After all, it was well-known to their classmates that neither of them got along well in school. Although, Seto was chagrined to find that his and Mazaki's relationship (or lack thereof) fell under a different dynamic than his with Mutou's, Jounouchi's, or Honda's. Her barbs certainly cut deeper than any of the colorful expletives he heard coming from the other three's mouths. Her very presence seemed to rankle him and as testaments to that, he could recount every single they'd cross-fired in the hallways. His hackles would rise just by seeing her with her _goons_ and she never went anywhere _without them_.

…_except for now_.

Anzu and Mokuba laughed at a joke just as their food was being set down in front of them. Seto was brought out from his thoughts when the delicious aroma wafted into his nose and right then and there, he was reminded of how hungry he was.

Seto picked up a fork and began to work on his filet mignon while Anzu spread her dinner napkin across her lap. Mokuba was already hard at work on the gourmet hamburger and French fries he'd ordered while Anzu, having a slight idea she'd ordered some rendition of a pasta dish, took small bites, dabbing her lips every so often.

Bringing the tender meat to his lips, Seto Kaiba resigned to the circumstances of the evening and resolved to at least enjoy what he could of it. Mainly, his dinner.

Once his blue eyes caught sight of the familiar figure across the room while she wined and dined with one of Japan's most highly sought after bachelor and his little brother, he'd forgotten all about his date. Fists clenched unknowingly under the table and wrenched the dinner napkin into an undistinguishable mess. There was no way he didn't recognize _her_; she having been and _still was_ the objection of his fascination.

His date, caught up in her own world as she was oft to do, jabbered on about topics he never cared about. She was a very beautiful girl, he could see that much. With her brown hair perfectly coiffed up in a stylish bun and her designer dress accentuating all the right curves, it was really the blue eyes that caught him the most.

He glanced back at the table of three and then looked back at his date. It was obvious why he chose to encourage his current date's affections out of his father's other many associates' daughters.

Shifting forward, dinner forgotten, he clasped her hand which halted her talking immediately. Smiling with all the charm in the world, he peered at her with intense blue eyes and said in a deep, silky voice that had captured many a girl's heart before, "Why don't you spend the night at my place?"

Her mouth opened in a startled 'o', features twisted in what was supposed to be an innocent look. He wasn't fooled; she could not hide the lust lurking deep in her blue eyes or the smirk threatening to play out on her lips. It didn't matter what sort of person she was playing at, her physical features suited him well enough.

_Because if he couldn't have the real thing, at least he would be satisfied for one night with a mimicry of her._

**Notes**: Revelations are coming into play soon...Reviews keep an authoress happy!! Now that school is starting back up, updates will probably slow down to the point of ceasing, at least until the next big school break.


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